Rachel has issued the following response to constituents who have contacted her about short-term supported housing.
I note various concerns raised and would like to pay tribute to the excellent work that St Mungo's do and the importance of their campaigns in highlighting the issues around homelessness. I am pleased that the Housing Secretary, Sajid Javid, has decided to include the CEO of St Mungo's, Howard Sinclair, on his new Rough Sleeping Advisory Panel.
I am aware that in 2016, the Prime Minister unveiled plans for new homelessness prevention schemes, including targeted support for those at risk of sleeping rough. The Government is spending over £1 billion between now and 2020 to reduce homelessness and rough sleeping across England.
I am pleased that the Government is also committed to full implementation of the Homelessness Reduction Act, which will come into effect from April and aims to halve rough sleeping by 2022 and eliminate it altogether by 2027. This will be done through setting up a new homelessness reduction taskforce to focus on prevention and affordable housing, and piloting a Housing First approach to tackle rough sleeping.
I fully appreciate that supported housing supports some of the most vulnerable people across the country and the Government's priority is to safeguard its future. The Prime Minister has announced that the local housing allowance will not be applied to supported housing nor will it be implemented for the rest of the social rented sector. The Government published its proposals on its future model to support and sustain supported housing on 31 October - more information can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/funding-for-supported-housing.
Date published: 18 January 2018.
As with all items in the FAQ Library, answers are subject to modification as events and circumstances change and evolve. If you would like an answer that is more specific to your circumstances, or to seek and up-to-date response, please email rachel.maclean.mp@parliament.uk.
